Dear Friends and Family,

It is evening at Paddy Fields, I’m rain-slicked but recovering as I do my best Sex in the City, Sarah Jessica Parker imitation – on the bed, scantily clad, plucking away at my keyboard. Outside, rain patters, lightening flashes and thunder rolls. Oooh! There goes the 3rd flash in as many minutes! Oooh! Another!

How does the cliché go – be careful what you wish for? My main wish for Chang Mai was the ability to stretch my legs and walk around the city… I considered the ability to breathe without coughing a nice bonus. Happily, Chang Mai has lived up to these expectations: I can and do walk – at least 3 miles a day. I’m greatly enjoying this despite the fact that Chang Mai, like any city located in the tropics during monsoon season, has periods of sweltering hot: the sort of hot where the air shimmers, sweat becomes uncontainable rivulets down the face, and one looks so silly walking to a midday destination while the natives stay in the shade and snooze. Anyway, naturally, this heat builds over the hills into fantastic layers of clouds and results in rainstorms which are lovely when already tucked into one’s guesthouse for the evening but not quite as wonderful when you have are all the way across town and have a two mile walk to return to your guesthouse – and 40 THB in your pocket. Luckily, as rain began to fall tonight, I was able to charm a fair price for a tuk tuk although a light defensive demure that my boyfriend is at home was in order. [mischievous smile]

You may wonder what I’ve been up to for the last few days in Chang Mai. In fact, I’ve been wondering this as well! It has definitely taken me longer than expected to settle in, navigate the city, and accomplish my initial goal of further research on potential teaching destinations – not to mention getting down to the business of seriously applying for jobs. I’ve arrived at a rather critical crossroads and found myself uncertain about which way to step forward. Not just uncertain – almost paralyzed. Since returning from Cambodia, I’ve had enough internal debates to twist my insides into a good-sized knot. What do I want next? What do I seek? What constitutes a good quality of life? What can I compromise on… what can I not compromise on? You may recall from past discussions with me that I had done my research before winging over here and I had decided that Singapore and South Korea sounded most promising for accomplishing my two goals: living abroad and earning enough so that I can travel. During the CELTA, I sought the opinion of every classmate at one time or another… and interestingly, every person was happy to recommend the country that he/she was teaching in – with the notable exception of the Pakistani that is teaching in Saudi Arabia. In fact, when I asked him about teaching in Saudi Arabia, his response was basically that he didn’t think that I could hack it. Another classmate oh-so-nicely further inquired if Saudi Arabia would both require a veil and a gag for me. I remain a mite indignant regarding that but the serious side of me takes the point that the Middle East would be a tricky place for me, of all people, to teach. Anyway, after much deliberation, I’ve now pretty much settled on Korea or Japan based on the idea that I could make enough to travel and both countries have seasons.

One intriguing, if unsurprising, side-effect of my time in Southeast Asia is that even while I lap up the culture and energy of the cities, my eyes unconsciously seek hills, I miss seasonal weather and I crave water – the sea. I adore Thailand but despite predictions of several ex-pats that I’ve met, I have felt no urge to remain. By no means does this mean that Thailand is not gorgeous or that I’m not glad to be here or that I’m homesick (although perhaps I am, a bit)… but there is a particular part of me that is ever-searching the landscape for what roots me, what soothes me, for where I belong. Interestingly, these cravings played a role in my interim plans, in coming to Chang Mai, I looked forward to hiking amongst the hills and mountains. But more intriguingly, these cravings have formed criteria for my long-term future living situation. You see, originally, I fantasized myself living in a large metropolis, a chic redhead that teaches English by day and knows every cranny of the pulsing streets at night - ala Sex in the City. But now I find that I do not wish to spend a year in a place where I cannot breathe and cannot escape so I have down-sized my ideal situation smaller cities that afford Internet access + hot showers + glimpses of the sea and trips to the hills. Really, this a contradictory facet of my personality: the girl that loves city culture, restaurants and bars and museums and fashion and the girl that is quite happy forgo her makeup, put on ill-fitting pants, and scamper up 300 steps to the hill Wat of Doi Sethup.

Anyway, to be or not to be, that is the question. Oh, wait, no, the question is: Japan or Korea? Korea or Japan? There are pros and cons for each… and the more I read, the more sold I am on… well, either. I’m leaning towards Japan more for cultural reasons; I’m leaning towards Korea because the ease of job-hunting is irresistible. I posted my CV (aka resume) on a popular web site while still in Bangkok and had a surprising number of responses – all Korean. This was not especially helpful except to confirm that I can find a job in Korea. What has been helpful is that we had a “Professional Development Input Session” during the last week of the CELTA and the boys provided several good web sites and tips regarding job hunting. And that I can call upon former classmates in Korea or Japan – which I hope to utilize in guiding me away from big mistakes. As of now, I’m keeping my options open, spending hours upon the web searching advertisements and applying to all where I almost meet the criteria. So I’m dealing with the crossroads paralysis by keeping my analysis skills sharp and my options open while trying not to sweat the future too much – of course, I’ve been a complete failure on the sweat because it is so darn hot!

In concentrating on job hunting, I have not done an excessive amount of interesting activities… not that my adventures are over by a long shot but my discoveries are rather mundane: the coffee shop around the corner, the electronics center where (incongruously) there were several yellow-robed monks standing around while I could not locate either writable CDs nor a flash drive, yesterday’s lunch at the Amazing Sandwich (a place that offered wheat bread, raw vegetables, and be-bop music), the black cat playing with a speckled cat on the red courtyard tin roof. Everywhere around here there are cats and dogs: fat ones, thin ones, small ones, big ones, but sadly while they vary in size, they do not vary in whether or not they like me. I am very accustomed to being liked by animals – dogs especially – but here the dogs do not find my voice soothing, they have no interest in sniffing my hand, and madly hare off if I approach the wrong way. Conscious of a friend’s Thai cat problem that landed her with antibiotics, at first I was unbothered by the lack of animal response and I even felt it for the best. But now this driving me a bit mad. Tonight a dog with a friendly trot crossed to my side of the street but as he began to near me, his gate changed from happy to restrained to cautious to avoidance. I smiled my understanding and walked on. But I didn’t like it. After all, there are dogs everywhere.

Apparently, there are dogs everywhere in Beijing too. Have you read that authorities are talking about slaughtering a large number of dogs (did I read somewhere around 800,000?) because of a possible/probable upsurge in Rabies? Another interesting new story: do you recall the first Wat that I visited: Wat Yannawa (near my ruin!)? I read in the paper that the Wat plans to evict tenants in the old shop houses surrounding the area – some tenants have been there for generations – in order to tear down the current shops and replace them with new, ascetically pleasing shops. Progress? The administrators of the Wat think so while its neighbors strongly disagree. Did you read that the Philippine volcano, Mayon, is set to explode? Or that Malaysia is awaiting a ruling on whether an Islamic-born woman can convert to Christianity. In Malaysia, this is not a matter of conscience; it is a matter of law and state. Very interesting. And, as you can now see, another thing that I have done in Chang Mai is somewhat checked in with the world.


I’m now dry and getting a bit sleepy so I think I’ll sign off now. I still owe you all a description of Chang Mai… and I can feel another entry besides that building much like that lava at Mayon. There is so much to do, see, and say!

With much Love,

-Wandering Girl (nickname given to me by a CELTA friend)